Improvement in folding rocking-chairs



L. II. a h 0 Ng Nn Ah DC ..0 T1,H d 1 O P 1 8 5 2 o N Patented May 20,1879.

W N m m N. FETERS, PHOTQ-LITHQGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D Q

ISAAC N. DANN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING ROCKING-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 2 l5,5S1, dated May 20,1879; application filed March 4, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAo N. DANN, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Rocking- Ohairs, of which the following is aspecification.

I have combined a folding rocking chair with a base in such manner thatthe folding of the chair forward is made within the length of the base,and the connection of the rockers with the base is effected by a newarrangement of torsional springs adapted to give an easy and uniformrocking of the chair with the least possible efforts of the occupant.

The folding of the chair within the length of the base gives animportant advantage in the storage and transportation of the chair.

The construction of the chair is similar to that patented to me October11,1875. Certain differences, however, are made to give greater safetyto this improved chair when in use.

A rigid seat'frame, a, is pivoted to the lower ends of the back bars,I), by means of links 0, rigidly secured to said bars in a manner'toallow the ends of the seat side bars to abut against the inner sides ofsaid back bars.

The front legs, (1, are pivoted to the rockers e, and, extending abovethe seat, are pivoted to the back bars, and form the arms of the chair.The rear legs, f, are also pivoted to the rockers and to the seat-arms,the latter connection being at a point, g, in front of thearm-connections with the back, so as to bring the upper ends, h, of saidrear legs in abutting positions with the under sides of chair-arms whenthe chair is in use. This connection, it will be seen,- is also in frontof the pivots i of the arms with the back, and said arm-pivots are inrear of a vertical line through the pivots j of the seat and back, andit is in the relation of these pivots, in connection with supporting thearms upon the rear legs, that the chair is held in its set-up position,while the seat is maintained in position for use by reason of its fixedlink-connections c with the back, in rear of its pivot-connections gwith the rear legs, and supported upon a cross rung, k, of the frontlegs. This construction and arrangement give greater safety to the chairwhen in use.

The back of the chair folds forward, and the front and rear legs foldbackward.

The chair is mounted upon a base frame,

upon the sides Zof which the rockers 0 rest,

and their attachment thereto is made by two sets of wire springs, m,having the form of the letter L, one branch, n, of which lies upon amiddle cross-bar, 1", of the base, and is pinned thereto by a bent end,a, at or near the middle of said bar, while the other branch, m, acts asa lever, and extends along the inner side of the base, and terminates ina hook, s, which connects with a link, t, at or near the end of therocker.

The branches a lie parallel with each other, and are clamped in pairs ator near the bend or angle to said cross-bar by a cap or plate, a, sothat the springs act by the torsion of their clamped branches n, andgive a very easy movement to the chair, making a very simple, durable,and easily-attached spring, not only exerting a uniform force upon theend of each rocker, but at each side of the chair, and hold the rockersin place upon the base, whether the chair be unfolded for use or foldedup for storage or transportation within the compass of said base.

The drawings represent my improved folding rocking-chair in section, asunfolded, and in elevation as folded, Figure 1 being a vertical section,Fig. 2 an elevation as. folded, Fig. 3 a partial elevation as unfolded,and Fig 4 a bottom view of the base cross-bar, showing the torsionalsprings connecting the rockers.

I claim 1. In afolding rocking-chair, substantially such as described,and with or without a rocker-base, the rear legs, pivoted to theseat-frame at a point in front of the connection of the back with saidseat, in combination with the fixed links 0 of the back, the front legsextending above the seat and pivoted to the back, and supporting saidseat by the cross-rung k, allsubstantially as described.

2. In a rocking-chair having a rocker-base, the L-forined torsionalsprings m 'n, the bent branch on forming a lever attachment with the Itachably connected with the rockers, as and rocker, and the bent branchn the torsional for the purpose described. spring proper, fixed at itspoint n to the base, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set andclamped at the point of its bend upon the my hand in the presence of twoWitnesses. surface of said base as specified.

3. The lever torsional springs, pinned to the ISAAC DANN' base'cross-barby bent ends n, and clamped Witnesses: in pairs at or near their anglesby a cap or I A. E. H. JOHNSON, plate, u, and having theirlever-branches on de- J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON.

